


rainbow connection

by eudaemonics



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Fluff, M/M, lots and lots of fluff, pride prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:21:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24526045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eudaemonics/pseuds/eudaemonics
Summary: Collection of ShadLink oneshots based on thispride prompt calendar.
Relationships: Link/Shad (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	1. storm

**Author's Note:**

> despite everything, it's pride month babey!!! 
> 
> so, while i'm going to try my best to update this daily as it's meant to be, there's a good chance updates might be a little sporadic. like, right now, since i've been out at protests in my city, i'm playing catch-up and dumping three days worth of oneshots. 
> 
> also, tags will be added as i go, and the rating may change. i don't intend on writing anything of mature nature for this, but you never know. basically, idk where this will go.
> 
> happy pride month everyone! take care of each other and yourselves during these wild times.

Most never cared for when mother nature lost her temper; the smell of rain and thunder in the air right before the sky split itself open, threatening to swallow any below it. Link had seen his share of tempests rip through Ordon, then the next day the villagers would have to wait for the earth to dry before they set out to repair any damage done. He didn’t mind them, however — nature was as destructive as it was beautiful.

Although, Link would argue storms were beautiful, too. He walked through the streets packed with people racing to return to their homes before the rain started, people who had laughed and danced that day, or perhaps wept and asked for their sorrows to turn to clouds and dissolve with the rain. He walked alone with his eyes turned up towards the sky, watching the current of black clouds swirl in the blue sky.

He considered the shapes of the clouds to be like daytime constellations. He admired their forms until a drop of water fell onto his face, close enough to his eye to make him flinch. When he looked forward again, and around him, he realized the streets had emptied, a ghost of the shoulder-to-shoulder foot traffic that was just there minutes ago.

Then came the rain. Fast, hard, quickly soaking him. He hoped the summer heat was enough to keep him from getting a cold. 

He walked through the streets at a skipping-pace, searching for some shelter to take while he waited out the rain. As he neared the library, there stood that very familiar figure beneath the awning, looking kind of miserable, he noted. Though he almost couldn’t make the man out through the rain dripping from his bangs,  _ almost. _

“Shad!” He called out to him, pace quickening towards him.

“Link, old boy!” His expression lightened with a smile, only to fall again when Link had reached him, although with concern, “... You’re soaked.” 

“Yup!” He laughed.

“I say, why on Farore’s good green earth are you out here?” 

“Got distracted before I could escape the rain,” he replied as he stepped under the library’s awning with him, “How ‘bout  _ you?” _

“Much the same, I suppose. So deep into my research I had not even realized it began raining until I stepped out here.”

Shad sighed and adjusted his glasses on his nose, while Link only hummed and stared out into the downpour that began to flood the streets. What to do, they both wondered in that moment of silence between them, silent save for the incessant tapping of rain hitting stone. They could make a run for it back to Shad’s apartment, or… 

“We could go back in the library,” Link suggested, “Well,  _ you’d  _ be goin’ back in.”

“You’re  _ soaked _ , dear.” He reminded him.

“I’ll be even more soaked if I try to go anywhere else.” 

Fair enough, Shad nodded, and into the library they went. The librarian seated at the front desk didn’t seem too shocked to see Shad return, but she gave Link a rather awestruck stare before asking him to stop,  _ please don’t sit down yet _ , and went into a room in the back to look for a towel to give him.

After Link had toweled off, he and Shad found a far off, cozy table free of any librarian’s eyes. Link neatly folded the towel into the chair before sitting down; he was still damp, but at least he wasn’t  _ dripping  _ water everywhere. Shad decided to use the time to continue whatever he had been researching prior, finding books and digging his notes from his bag.

Link stared out the nearby window, nothing but a light grey kaleidoscope of Castle Town through the water that poured down the glass. 

“The sound of rain is really nice in here,” he started quietly, voice just barely above a mumble so Shad could hear. 

The pattering of raindrops on the roof surely made for some good ambience. Shad only gave a light hum in agreement, clearly more preoccupied with his work. Well, that wouldn’t do. 

Link leaned forward in his chair, over the table. The movement drew Shad’s attention up to him, their faces already close by that point. Almost reflexively, Shad’s eyes fluttered closed and he leaned in just enough to close that gap Link left between them, lips gently brushing against each other’s.

Until a stray drop of water that lingered in Link’s hair had finally succumbed to its own weight, and dropped right onto Shad’s notes. As quiet and subtle as it was, Shad —  _ of course _ — immediately noticed it and quickly swiped the journal from the table with a soft gasp.

“Link, you are going to smudge the ink!” He hissed. 


	2. rainbow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link tries to teach Shad how to ride a horse.

Bruises turn interesting shades, very reminiscent of rainbows. 

Link rolled up Shad’s pant leg enough to take a look at the mess of blues, purples, and yellows forming on his skin. He put his hand next to it for measurement, and sure enough it was very nearly the length of his wrist to his fingertips. He whistled, thoroughly impressed, though there was a look in Shad’s eyes that indicated the sentiment was definitely  _ not  _ shared. 

“Looks kinda like an apple fritter,” Link said, “‘Bout as big as one, too.” 

_ “Interesting _ comparison, to be sure.” Shad replied flatly. 

Epona, who had just got done throwing Shad off her, trotted around the duo with what they could have sworn was nonchalance. before she bent her neck down to tear and chew a piece of grass. Link had warned him she was easy to startle and lose control of, but the way he so  _ effortlessly  _ rode her had seeded doubt within him — he was  _ sure  _ he was over-exaggerating. She seemed like such a docile creature, after all!

He was, in fact,  _ not  _ exaggerating. Epona was not the ideal horse for first-time riders. He supposed the bright side to this was that if he could conquer riding Epona, he could likely ride just about any horse. 

“She didn’t mean it.” Link started again, although Shad would have been hard-pressed to accuse a  _ horse  _ of  _ meaning  _ to hurt him. 

“Think nothing of it, old boy,” he waved a hand, “Nothing feels broken, all is well. Let us try again, shall we? I do think I’m starting to get the hang of it!” 

Before they stood up, Link kneeled down to press a light kiss to the dark rainbow staining the paleness of Shad’s leg. 


End file.
